In Washington state’s Thurston County, a military helicopter crashed on Wednesday night near Summit Lake, west of Olympia. The area is close to a military base, and local authorities are currently conducting rescue operations.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on early Thursday morning on social media, confirming the helicopter crash near Summit Lake, located west of Olympia.
According to a report from KING-TV, a local television station affiliated with NBC, the crash site was found by local authorities on Wednesday evening. It is situated west of Olympia and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), approximately a 20-minute drive from the city and a 30-minute drive from the base.
Due to the fire at the crash site, authorities were unable to continue rescue operations and had to retreat. They were also unable to establish contact with the occupants of the helicopter.
The number of people on board at the time of the crash is currently unknown. The Sheriff’s Office of Thurston County reported that the military lost contact with the helicopter on Wednesday night.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that they are “working closely with Joint Base Lewis-McChord, deploying any necessary resources for assistance.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. Army indicated that the helicopter was engaged in “routine training flight” when air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft, suggesting a possible issue.
Scott Keith, the Public Affairs Officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, told ABC News, “The situation is still developing, and there are no further details available at this time.”
Keith mentioned that the helicopter crashed around 9 p.m. local time (Pacific Daylight Time). However, he did not disclose any information regarding casualties.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is situated in Pierce County, Washington state.